Asia Youth Day 2017 (III) - Day 3

By Fr. Prastowo Vincent de Paul, SDB
Indonesia Delegation Youth ministry

Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 4 August 2017 -- On Friday, August 4, the Salesian Youth of Indonesia delegation are sharing their deep impression of international and intercultural fraternity on the main venue of the AYD in Yogyakarta. The theme of AYD Day 3 is appreciating and celebrating our diversity. By this theme, each representative presents the show according to the encyclical letter of Pope Francis "Laudato si".

The theme emphasizes the role of Asian youth living in diversity. In the blessing of Holy Spirit, Asian youth surely experience different journeys.

“Being religious is about being interreligious,” is an interesting quote from Fr. Andreas Setyawan, S.J. as the representative of Steering Committee of AYD about today’s activities. Religious identity can be deepen by doing encounter and enriching experiences. AYD 7 still occurs in the same location as the previous days, Jogyakarta Expo Center (JEC). On the third day, the delegates of AYD have exposure as the main activity. They visit 25 different destinations by bus.

The places chosen often do services for others that are ecclesiastical and cultural such as church, school, and community. Some of them are Tunggal Hati Seminary and Tunggal Hati Maria, Parish of St. Antonius Kota Baru, Cave of Mary Sendangsono, Kanisius Kokap Elementary School, and Traditional Art Festival in Kulon Progo.

The delegates of AYD surely bring one mission when visiting those places. In each location, every delegate participates and has a discussion with a community. One of locations is in the Center for Liturgical Music. The delegates are given a chance to play angklung, gamelan, and kolintang which are traditional instruments of Indonesia. The Center for Liturgical Music promotes the unity of Indonesian instruments in liturgy. Its musical composition has been sung in church around Indonesia.

Asian Youth Day invites the Muslims to share their experience about Islam in Indonesia in the exposure. This moment also becomes the encounter and dialog to make the Asian youth understand about Islam, which is the major religion in Indonesia. In this dialog, the Moslems represented by young Moslems share their experience when living in Indonesia which is plural yet full of tolerance.

“This encounter makes our tolerance to not become a tolerance in silence,” said Rifqi Fairuz representing young Moslems. Young Moslems who take part in this encounter are the volunteers that prepare themselves to have sharing with Asian youth in AYD 7. Several times, they hold workshops to prepare this event. The workshop done is also supported by Alissa Wahid, the coordinator of National Gusdurian Network.

The AYD 2017 'Joyful Asian Youth! Living the Gospel in multicultural Asia' can be followed on the official web: https://asianyouthday.org/

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